Mary Hart

The coanchor of Entertainment Tonight on her best interview, her favorite retreat, and why she's not a big deal to her son

Twenty-five years ago, a barely-buzzed-about TV show debuted with the novel idea of updating viewers on entertainment news. Today, Entertainment Tonight leads the pack of like-minded celebrity shows. Through it all, Mary Hart has been in front of the cameras. "I never thought this was a business that a woman could grow old in," says Hart, 53. "I'm so glad I was wrong!" Here are a few other facts about the face of Hollywood gossip:

She doesn't bring her job home

"Once I'm away from work, I totally disconnect from the celebrity world: I love to go horseback riding or hiking in the mountains in Montana."

Her worst interview turned out the best

"When I was a TV reporter in Oklahoma, long before Entertainment Tonight, I interviewed Richard Pryor. But it was 8:00 a.m., and he was not in a good mood. All I got out of him was expletives! Years later, when I was on ET and he'd been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, Pryor invited me to his home for an interview. I said to him, 'I have to admit, you were so miserable years ago....' He said, 'In those days, I was horrible to a lot of people. I was even worse to the people I cared about.' Then he got truly emotional and apologetic. We developed a bond, and I wound up visiting him several times. I can now say that he was a lovely, generous, and kind human being."

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Her son wants her to keep working

"When my son, A.J., who's now 14, was a little boy, he couldn't have cared less about what I did for a living. But recently, when I was deciding whether to re-sign my contract, A.J. got worked up and said, 'Mom, you have to keep this job!' I think he secretly gets a kick out of it—especially when I get to meet sports stars. I'd be a much bigger deal to him if I had a job on ESPN."

She gives in to one guilty pleasure

"In the morning, I have some fruit, yogurt—and one generous tablespoon of all-natural peanut butter. With the all-natural kind, the oil and the peanuts sort of separate, but if you take a table knife and slowly start stirring from the center out, you can get a good arm workout while you're indulging yourself!"

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